Method and apparatus for automatically processing a workpiece employing calibrated scanning
First Claim
1. A system for processing a workpiece comprisingmeans having a field of view for scanning said workpiece in said field of view to generate signals related to the spatial coordinates of said workpiece,means for converting said signals to processing control signals, said converting means including means for modifying said signals to calibrate said scanning means,said means for modifying including memory means storing calibration information derived by comparing scanning signals of a known three dimensional reference piece located in said field of view with previously stored spatial coordinates of said known reference piece, andmeans for processing said workpiece in accordance with said processing control signals.
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Abstract
A system for efficiently scanning and processing a workpiece, particularly logs or pieces cut from logs, wherein the workpiece is first scanned by projecting at least one plane light source at a first angle and detecting the intersection line of the plane of light and workpiece at a second angle. Signals representing points on the intersection line are corrected to compensate for errors in the scanning apparatus to generate signals representing spatial coordinates of the workpiece at the intersection line. The spatial coordinate representing signals are analyzed to generate processing control signals for controlling devices acting on the workpiece, such as automatic sawing equipment.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for processing a workpiece comprising
means having a field of view for scanning said workpiece in said field of view to generate signals related to the spatial coordinates of said workpiece, means for converting said signals to processing control signals, said converting means including means for modifying said signals to calibrate said scanning means, said means for modifying including memory means storing calibration information derived by comparing scanning signals of a known three dimensional reference piece located in said field of view with previously stored spatial coordinates of said known reference piece, and means for processing said workpiece in accordance with said processing control signals.
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17. A method of processing a workpiece comprising
scanning said workpiece in a field of view to generate signals related to the dimensions of said workpiece, storing calibration information derived by comparing scanning signals of a known three dimensional reference piece located in said field of view with previously stored spatial coordinates of said known reference piece, modifying said signals with said stored calibration information, converting said modified signals to processing control signals, and processing said workpiece in accordance with said processing control signals.
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18. A system for scanning a three-dimensional workpiece comprising
means having a field of view for scanning said workpiece in said field of view to generate signals related to the three-dimensional spatial coordinates of said workpiece, and means for modifying said signals to calibrate said scanning means, said means for modifying including memory means storing calibration information derived by comparing scanning signals of a known three-dimensional reference piece with previously stored three-dimensional spatial coordinates of said known reference piece.
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26. A method of scanning a workpiece comprising
scanning said workpiece in a field of view to generate signals related to the dimensions of said workpiece, storing calibration information derived by comparing scanning signals of a known three dimensional reference piece located in said field of view with previously stored spatial coordinates of said known reference piece, modifying said workpiece signals with said stored calibration information.
Specification